1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical propulsion system for use by extraterrestrial vehicles.
2. Background of the Prior Art
It has been said that space is the final frontier and in the less than half century of space travel by man, incredible strides have been made. Satellite systems, moon walks, and reusable space vehicles are all examples of the extraordinary advances man has made in the exploration of space. However, with all of man's spectacular achievements in space, man is still in his infancy in the exploration of space.
One current limitation on space travel deals with extraterrestrial propulsion. During terrestrial travel, vehicles rely on Newton's third law of physics that states that for action there exists an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, for example, a plane traveling through the air accelerates the air that it is flying through rearwardly in order to get a reaction and thus “push” through the air in order to accelerate and maintain velocity through the air. The fuel on board the vehicle provides the energy to drive the propulsion systems that drive the air rearward. Such propulsion systems need regular refueling. The problem for extraterrestrial vehicles is that unlike near earth conditions, space is a near vacuum and there is no air to push off of. While energy on many space vehicles is nearly infinite by using solar collectors, the ability to have a push off reaction is not. In order to achieve a reactionary push, the space vehicle is loaded with some form of fuel before being launched into space. As this fuel is burned, it provides the push to the space vehicle allowing the vehicle to accelerate and maneuver in the vacuum of space. The problem with such systems is that the fuel supplies on board are finite, and unlike earth, gas stations are not readily available. As even the most sophisticated satellites require occasional repositioning in space due to course errors caused by the earth's and moon's gravitational influences, all current satellites have a finite life span dictated by the amount of fuel on board.
In order to combat the propulsion problem, various mechanical systems have been proposed which systems, relying on the fact that electrical energy is plentiful, use an unbalanced force system in order to direct a force in a given direction. While such systems work with varying degrees of success, they tend to be unduly complex in design and construction and they take up a substantial amount of extremely valuable real estate that is otherwise needed for core function components on the space vehicle.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a propulsion system that can be used onboard a space vehicle, which propulsion system allows the vehicle to maneuver and accelerate. Such a system must not rely on a finite fuel supply in order to achieve its objective and must be of relatively simple and compact design and construction.